Softball Practice Drills – Move It

Purpose: This activity combines the many bunting varieties, baserunning disciplines, and conditioning. Variety of drills must be done when coaching softball.

Procedure: Prepare bases, bats, helmets and balls. Pitch from the mound with one person bunting at home plate. Another three people run from each base. On contact the three runners attempt to advance to the next base. The bunter the sprints to first base. A bunter who misses of fouls the pitch off should run to first anyway. Players advance one base at a time. After reaching home, those runners become bunters and so on. No sliding. All participants should be running bunting at the same time. Move into the next round only after person has bunted and been to each base. Obviously the runners have different agendas as opposed to the bunters. Work individually on the specific disciplines. Adjust to the age levels. Sessions may include:

Round 1:

Bunter: Sacrifice (run through first base and turn right after the bag)

Runner at First: Steal of second base (work on a quick first step)

Runner at Second: Steal of third base (take a lead in the base line)

Runner at Third: Squeeze (wait for the pitcher’s front foot to hit the ground)

Round 2:

Bunter: Drag (simulate a base hit by making a wide cut to the right)

Runner at First: Hit-and-run (midway down the line make a quick look into home plate).

Runner at Second: Steal of third base (start from a 2-out lead behind the bag)

Runner Third: Score on a wild pitch (sprint from a secondary lead)

Round 3:

Bunter: Squeeze (run through first base and semi-advance on an overthrow).

Runner at First: Delayed steal (take second while in the secondary lead)

Runner at Second: 2-out lead (score on “crack of the bat”)

Runner at Third: Score on a sacrifice fly (simulate tagging up).

Round 4:

Bunter: Fake bunt (square around bring the bat back; then sprint to first base)

Runner at First: Early steal (go at a left-handed pitcher’s first move to the plate).

Runner at Second: Wild pitch (advance to third while in the secondary lead)

Runner at Third: Safety squeeze (score when the ball i on the ground).